You are right Neely, it is necessary that it(he) remembers, but I am on that it is what it(he) makes(does)!!! The lawn it is its ground of predilection, it goes there am sure of it! At least one is all with him as usual!smile bounce

Bibi

06-05-2004, 05:38 PM

Does anybody know how many times Lleyton already won this tournament?? I think I read somewhere it was 3 times, but I'm not sure. (As Neely said it was in 2001 & 2002, he at least has won it twice, but IF there was a third time, does anybody know when this was???)
Thanks!!

Oh and good luck Lleyton!!!

Bibi

06-05-2004, 06:02 PM

Hey, you guys, never mind my question. I was able to track the 'Queens' website and could look it up myself. Lleyton won the tournament in 2000 - 2001 & 2002 and in 2003 he reached the QF but got beaten by Grosjean.
In 1999 he reached the SF, but then got beaten by Sampras.

So it seems this always has been a pretty good tournament for Lleyton. Should give him a lot of confidence! :bounce:

Roddick and Agassi playing doubles :eek: Now that would be interesting to see!

Good luck Lleyts :D

Gaga

06-06-2004, 12:06 PM

its cool in double and simple !!! good luck mark and lley , and lley alone !!! :nerner:

FanOfHewitt

06-07-2004, 07:44 AM

Carn' Rock!

Here's to a great grass-court season! I have a good feeling about his chances this year. He's been denied for too long. Time to make a statement!

I'm glad he's going to have a week-long break before Wimbledon.

Tangerine, let's hope they can meet up in the semis at Wimbledon as well!

Gaga

06-07-2004, 11:34 AM

he play his first match tuesday because he had 'bye' in the first round !!:p

NOMAD

06-07-2004, 12:42 PM

BBC website has live video of Queens tournament
there's about a 30 seconds interview of LL
It seems that LL didn't have his "routine" hair cut :p
but he looks great...very relaxing :angel:

tournesol

06-07-2004, 12:58 PM

BBC website has live video of Queens tournament
there's about a 30 seconds interview of LL
It seems that LL didn't have his "routine" hair cut :p
but he looks great...very relaxing :angel:

i can't acces that from this comp, but the capillary news is great news

well done Ll for escaping cisors, razors and assimilated weapons and if you can bring the curls back pleaase

edit: oops and of course thanks tara for posting

Angele

06-07-2004, 05:57 PM

Where exactly is this video? I can't seem to find it :scratch:

kim-fan

06-07-2004, 06:39 PM

Where exactly is this video? I can't seem to find it :scratch:

me neither :confused:

NOMAD

06-07-2004, 07:00 PM

Where exactly is this video? I can't seem to find it :scratch:

The coverage only shows the first two match of the centre court today.
You'll have to wait until tomorrow,then the website(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/default.stm) will show the clip of live video.
It started from 1:30pm today,not sure when will it start tomorrow.

Jess

06-07-2004, 07:12 PM

I think it's showing the live stuff they put on BBC television, so it won't be downloadable at other times :confused:
They only showed a two second clip of him though - They were going around randomly asking players if they knew where the word "seed" comes from, as in seeded player. :rolleyes: They can be a bit strange.
I'm hoping that they'll show more of an interview with him later because surely they didn't actually set up an interview with him only to ask such a stupid question, to which he only laughed.
He had a backwards cap on and his hair was hanging out the sides - definitely not cut!

Jess

06-07-2004, 09:45 PM

Lleyts and Mark playing doubles tomorrow - last match on court 1

Lisbeth

06-08-2004, 01:49 AM

Good luck in the doubles Lleyton and Mark!!

So much for the big Dent match up in round 3! Does anyone know anything about this Deldado?!

SomL.

06-08-2004, 10:14 AM

BBC website has live video of Queens tournament
there's about a 30 seconds interview of LL
It seems that LL didn't have his "routine" hair cut :p
but he looks great...very relaxing :angel:
I can't watch. :rolleyes:

kim4eva

06-08-2004, 11:32 AM

Good luck to Lleyton and the- Poo! :lol:

Jess

06-08-2004, 06:19 PM

I think Lleyts and Mark have pulled out of the doubles. Mark got beaten in straight sets by some English guy who qualified so he's probably has other things to do than hang around playing doubles. They were talking about him going to play in Nottingham next week before Wimbledon.

Socket

06-08-2004, 06:36 PM

You know, pulling out of doubles after losing in singles makes no sense. Flip needs match play on grass courts, even if it's doubles. Playing a doubles match is better than practicing. And he's leaving Lleyton in the lurch, since I'm sure Lleyton would prefer to have more match practice, since he's not playing next week.

Raquel

06-08-2004, 11:25 PM

Good Luck Lleyton at Queens :bounce: where we know he likes to play :)

Lisbeth

06-09-2004, 02:44 AM

Unless Flip was injured or something I think it's a bizarre decision to pull out. I was hoping Lleyton would have a grass match before his singles, but hopefully he's found lots of people to practise with :)

Good luck in the first round Lleyton!

tournesol

06-09-2004, 08:00 AM

go for it Ll

Danni

06-09-2004, 11:27 AM

good luck lleyts! :kiss:

SomL.

06-09-2004, 12:36 PM

Good luck Lleyton in second round !!!!!!!!!!!!

fifiricci

06-09-2004, 01:21 PM

Watching Lleyts' game live on TV now and he's STILL GOT HAIR!!!! Yippee - Kim obviously not there with the pesky razor!.

Lleyt's held serve first game.

star

06-09-2004, 01:23 PM

Yea you!! Lleyton live on TV. That's great.

fifiricci

06-09-2004, 01:25 PM

2-1 to Lleyts. Just won his service game to love .....

fifiricci

06-09-2004, 01:28 PM

2-2 now

tournesol

06-09-2004, 01:42 PM

2-2 now

5-3 Ll hold now

tournesol

06-09-2004, 01:45 PM

6-3 Ll 1st set; c'mon one more to go

fifiricci

06-09-2004, 01:45 PM

1st set to Lleyts 6-3 and he STILL HAS ALL HIS HAIR!!!

Lleyts seems to be getting into his stride now. Also wearing nice new Nike shirt - white, collarless. Very big black baggy shorts ........ make his legs look like two little sticks!!

tournesol

06-09-2004, 01:51 PM

Ll broke 0-1* great start keep it this way

star

06-09-2004, 01:52 PM

Lleyton and his oversized shorts!!

tournesol

06-09-2004, 01:55 PM

Lleyton and his oversized shorts!!

:tape: LOL

2-Ll

fifiricci

06-09-2004, 01:58 PM

Lleyts cooking with gas now - 3-0 up in the 2nd.

I love Lleyts, but wished his legs filled his shorts up a bit more!! :p

tournesol

06-09-2004, 02:06 PM

4-1 Ll

tournesol

06-09-2004, 02:10 PM

5-1 Ll

waouooooooooow where's jess to have a stress free match

kim4eva

06-09-2004, 02:30 PM

Lleyton won 6-3, 6-2 :) :worship:
Congrats!

SomL.

06-09-2004, 02:32 PM

Well done Lleyton !!!!!!!! Good luck Lleyton in next round ^_^

tournesol

06-09-2004, 02:35 PM

good job Ll

Jess

06-09-2004, 02:48 PM

5-1 Ll

waouooooooooow where's jess to have a stress free match

:lol: Yes it was nice and stress free today :) I actually got to watch it and he played really well for most of it. He also kept lifting his top to wipe he face :drool: Maybe this hot weather we've been having isn't such a bad thing ;) He is looking good!

tournesol

06-09-2004, 03:08 PM

:lol: Yes it was nice and stress free today :) I actually got to watch it and he played really well for most of it. He also kept lifting his top to wipe he face :drool: Maybe this hot weather we've been having isn't such a bad thing ;) He is looking good!

you're forgiven for not turning up since you had a much better place in front of the tv ;)

i hope emma bump appreciated properly

Gaga

06-09-2004, 07:08 PM

Good job Lleyton !! goos luck for the next round ! he play against who ??

Jess

06-09-2004, 07:45 PM

Good job Lleyton !! goos luck for the next round ! he play against who ??

LLEYTON HEWITT's grass court campaign got off to a dream start today when he obliterated Spaniard Marc Lopez on his way to the third round of the Queen's Club championships.

Hewitt never looked troubled as he wiped out the 21-year-old unseeded Lopez 6-3 6-2 in their second round match.

It was the perfect start to his Wimbledon build-up, with the Grand Slam starting in less than two weeks.

Hewitt, who will face British wildcard Jonathan Marray in the third round, made it to the quarter-finals of the French Open on clay last week. But he declared afterwards he has his sights set on Wimbledon, saying he is one of the few players capable of winning it.

"There are only a few guys capable of winning Wimbledon and I'm one of them," he told British newspaper The Times.

"I've been the top player in the world. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but I believe I'm better now than I was then and that counts for a lot.

"I'm fitter, stronger and pretty determined.".

The 21-year-old South Australian is a three-times winner at Queen's, claiming the title in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

He went on to win Wimbledon in 2002 but was a shock first-round loser last year, the first time since 1967 the champion bowed out in the first round.

Hewitt is the only Australian remaining in the main draw after Sydneysider Todd Reid lost today to fifth seed Sebastian Grosjean.

Eek, pants start by Lleyton. Just lost his serve and foot faulted twice!!

Socket

06-10-2004, 03:20 PM

Wake up, please, Lleyton, it's time to play your match.

Jess

06-10-2004, 03:21 PM

He doesn't appear to have woken up yet :rolleyes: Dreadful start.

tournesol

06-10-2004, 03:22 PM

He doesn't appear to have woken up yet :rolleyes: Dreadful start.

Ll get yourself decent stats pleeeaaaaaase

Socket

06-10-2004, 03:23 PM

Well, he broke back, so maybe he's awake now.

tournesol

06-10-2004, 03:23 PM

that's better hold now

Jess

06-10-2004, 03:27 PM

This Marray guy is actually not playing as badly as I thought he would

Socket

06-10-2004, 03:30 PM

This Marray guy is actually not playing as badly as I thought he would

You and Lleyton, both, apparently. :eek:

star

06-10-2004, 03:33 PM

Are you both watching?

It's nice to see Lleyton. :)

Socket

06-10-2004, 03:35 PM

This match is too close for comfort. Lleyton should be mopping up the court with this guy.

Gaga

06-10-2004, 03:36 PM

3-3

Gaga

06-10-2004, 03:37 PM

Marray-Hewitt
4-3
Hewitt to serve

Gaga

06-10-2004, 03:38 PM

30-30

tournesol

06-10-2004, 03:39 PM

4-4

go for it Ll

Socket

06-10-2004, 03:41 PM

Except for that one break, Lleyton doesn't seem to be making any headway on this guy's serve . . .

Gaga

06-10-2004, 03:48 PM

5-5

Jess

06-10-2004, 03:48 PM

He isn't making much headway but the guy is playing really well for him. And Lleyts is a little off.

Gaga

06-10-2004, 03:51 PM

5-6

Gaga

06-10-2004, 03:54 PM

40-40;)

Jess

06-10-2004, 03:55 PM

Lleyts getting a bit worked up now - questioning line calls :rolleyes:

Socket

06-10-2004, 03:56 PM

I hate to say this, but I'm reminded of last year's W. when Lleyton was not able to adjust to an unknown opponent.

Jess

06-10-2004, 03:59 PM

Nightmare game. Eventually managed to hold after about ten deuces :rolleyes: Saved six set points.

Peridotpixie

06-10-2004, 04:01 PM

Well, I'm TRYING to follow on the BBC website, but honestly, I can barely tell which player is which.

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:01 PM

6-6 good lley !! go ! :nerner:

Socket

06-10-2004, 04:05 PM

And it looks like Lleyt's opponent has red eyes and blood dripping from his mouth. Maybe I should just give up.

OH MY GOD, LLEYTON'S PLAYING A VAMPIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jess

06-10-2004, 04:07 PM

Won tiebreak easily :) 7-2 :)

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:15 PM

2-1 in the second set

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:16 PM

0-30

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:17 PM

2-2

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:20 PM

3-2

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:24 PM

3-3:'(

star

06-10-2004, 04:25 PM

Well, I'm TRYING to follow on the BBC website, but honestly, I can barely tell which player is which.

I'm having very good luck with the video. :)

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:27 PM

4-4

Jess

06-10-2004, 04:28 PM

Marray is coming up with some great shots.
I still think Lleyts will get it in straight sets but it's not the walkover I imagined.

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:31 PM

5-4
marray to serve

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:35 PM

5-5 30-0

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:36 PM

6-5

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:38 PM

30-15

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:42 PM

6-6
new tie brak 1-0

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:43 PM

3-2

Murkofan

06-10-2004, 04:45 PM

Lleyton is playing a vampire? No wonder he's having trouble :p

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:45 PM

3-4

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:46 PM

6-5 go go !!!!

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:48 PM

6-6

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:51 PM

7-7

Gaga

06-10-2004, 04:52 PM

7-6/7-6 match for lley !! good job !

Jess

06-10-2004, 04:55 PM

Good game - Lleyts sounded positive in interview - said marray played really well, good sort of match to have before Wimbledon :)
All good really - it's not good to have too many straight sets walkovers.

Socket

06-10-2004, 04:56 PM

Yeah, Lleyton needs some tight sets before W. Well done, Lleyton!

FanOfHewitt

06-10-2004, 05:11 PM

Great fighting Rock!!!! Good to see him winning close matches. Should do his confidence some good. Hope he's ready for Andreev tomorrow!

Lleyton Hewitt has faced the twin sporting imposters of triumph and disaster on each of his last two outings on Wimbledon's Centre Court.
In 2002, while at the peak of his powers, the Australian swept all before him, dropping only two sets en route to winning the championship.

But ignominy followed the glory and on his return a year later, the pre-tournament favourite became the first defending champion to lose in the first round for 36 years.

However, that five-set loss to unheralded Croat Ivo Karlovic proved a watershed and helped push Hewitt towards a career-changing decision.

Then aged 22, he went into self-imposed tennis exile - bar Davis Cup duty - after exiting the quarter-finals of the US Open.

"There were times last year when I felt I needed a few more weeks off than I needed in the previous couple of years," Hewitt explained to BBC Sport.

"With so many big matches in such a short period I felt I needed three or four weeks off as opposed to one or two, I needed that block of time off.

"You've got to listen to your body in a lot of ways, especially if you want to have a long career and a successful career, and especially with the style of play that I play."

Hewitt, who had been hailed as the next tennis great after winning the US Open in 2001 and then Wimbledon, tumbled down the rankings.

But many believe he is now feeling the benefit of his first serious break since qualifying for the Australian Open at the age of 15 in 1997, including Aussie great John Newcombe.

"You could see Lleyton had less and less on his game and was just hanging in there on spirit alone," Newcombe said.

"Now you see he's like a new person out there again. He's back."

Tim Henman stole the headlines with his performance in Paris in reaching the semi-finals, but Hewitt's own progress to the quarter-finals buoyed his supporters ahead of another attempt on Wimbledon.

And nowhere will he be more fired up to prove that point than at Wimbledon.

"Everyone holds Wimbledon up as one of their favourite tournaments to watch so for me it was extra special to win," he added.

"In Australia it's the biggest tournament in the world and it's a great place to be.

"It's still on grass, which a lot of tournaments back in Australia used to be, including the Australian Open, and there's the history that Australian players have at that club.

"We've had so many great champions over such a long period who have played so well at Wimbledon.

"We've done so well there in the past that a lot of people expect us to keep doing well."

Hewitt is the leading light in the Antipodean army marching on SW19, and although he may not be arriving with the fanfare he enjoyed last year, he will be putting up a brighter and better fight.

Watch the full interview on BBC TV's Wimbledon coverage

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:24 PM

Anybody here?

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:36 PM

Anybody here?

me :)

on scoreboard only :(

2-2

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:37 PM

Are you getting coverage? I can't even get the damn s/b to work today!

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:39 PM

Are you getting coverage? I can't even get the damn s/b to work today!

i could but i'm at work

2-3 Ll

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:40 PM

If you could post the scores, I'd be very grateful. Thanks.

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:42 PM

OK, I got it working now. Had to shut down the firewall for some reason.

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:43 PM

3-3

67% 1st serve with 3 df - Ll what have you eaten?

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:46 PM

2 bp go for it Ll

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:46 PM

4-3 Ll c'mon hold now

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:48 PM

Let's consolidate . . .

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:51 PM

Let's consolidate . . .

yyessss 3-5 keep it this way

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:55 PM

6-3 Ll in 27 min and 63% first serve; am i dreaming?????

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:55 PM

There is streaming video. The link is posted on the tournament forum.

Socket

06-11-2004, 12:56 PM

SEcond set not starting well, 3 BPs for Ll.

tournesol

06-11-2004, 12:58 PM

deuce

thanks but i'm working while on scoreboard

star

06-11-2004, 01:02 PM

:( Lleyton broken but fighting to break back. Andreev down 15-30

star

06-11-2004, 01:03 PM

two break points........ one saved.

star

06-11-2004, 01:04 PM

:mad: Deuce

tournesol

06-11-2004, 01:06 PM

:mad: Deuce

:wavey: good morning christina

1-2 Ll, keep focused

star

06-11-2004, 01:10 PM

Morning! :wavey:

I'm off!

Good luck to Lleyton. I thought this was going to be a nice uncomplicated win, but I see Lleyton has us on that rollercoaster again. :lol:

I didn't get to watch much of it today (exam :rolleyes: ) but the commentator said he played the best first set of the tournament and he seemed pretty pleased with how it was going in the interview.

kim4eva

06-12-2004, 02:40 AM

Good luck Lleyton! :clap2:

kim4eva

06-12-2004, 03:02 AM

Hewitt makes Queen's semis

It does not get any easier in the semis

Lleyton Hewitt
Photos from Queen's
Lleyton Hewitt is in line for a fourth Queen's title after beating Igor Andreev in their quarter-final match.
The Australian came back from a break down in the second set to beat the unseeded Russian 6-3 7-5.

"I feel like I'm getting better and better with each match but you don't want to play your best tennis just yet," Hewitt told BBC Sport.

The 23-year-old will now face Andy Roddick in the semi-finals after he beat Paradorn Srichaphan.

Hewitt, who was taken to two tie-breaks by Briton Jonathan Marray in the previous round, said: "I felt like I moved a lot better around the court against Andreev.

"I've played three totally different guys this week, it's good preparation for Wimbledon. But it does not get any easier in the semis."

Hewitt only needed one break to take the first set but was made to work harder in the second after he was broken in the opening game.

The sixth seed then had to save set points on his own serve before breaking back to level at 5-5.

After Hewitt moved to 6-5, the pressure mounted on Andreev.

And the Russian failed to hold his nerve as two forehands into the net gifted Hewitt a second consecutive break of serve and the match.

French fifth seed Sebastien Grosjean reached the final four with a comfortable 6-3 6-3 win against 15th seed Radek Stepanek from Czech Republic.

Gaga

06-12-2004, 07:42 AM

thanks !!! good job lley ! :nerner: and good luck for today against roddick !;)

SomL.

06-12-2004, 08:20 AM

Good luck Lleyton in next round !!!!!! Come on Lleyton ^_^ Go Lleyton against Roddick ^_^

Lley :mad: pfff @ you for losing that set :( He's actually played v. well :yeah: up until he served for the set, and v. composed in the TB up until 7-7 where he made a bad FH error to give Rod set point.

Goonergal

06-12-2004, 04:05 PM

He's in danger of losing this set easily if he doesn't pick it up. He was really pissed with himself at the changeover after he lost the TB, a few swear words at himself.

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:05 PM

30-30

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:06 PM

40-40

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:07 PM

advantage lleyton

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:08 PM

2-1
go lley !!!!!!!!! ;)

kim4eva

06-12-2004, 04:10 PM

COME ON LLEYTON!!!! He played very well at the first set and please FIGHT @ the 2nd and 3rd!!! GO LLEYTS :bounce:

Goonergal

06-12-2004, 04:12 PM

3-1 Roddick

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:12 PM

3-1

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:14 PM

3-2
Roddick to serve

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:17 PM

4-2

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:19 PM

4-3

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:22 PM

5-3 :(

Goonergal

06-12-2004, 04:23 PM

5-3 Roddick

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:26 PM

40-40

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:27 PM

6-3 :(:(

Goonergal

06-12-2004, 04:29 PM

Pff for losing the match on a DF Lleyts :rolleyes:

Pfffffffff :smoke:

Gaga

06-12-2004, 04:31 PM

It is when indeed semi-finals!!

Finale Grosjean-Roddick

star

06-12-2004, 05:33 PM

Sad way to lose the match. But on the other had had he made a brilliant second serve no one would say a thing. He was fighting.

I'm sorry he tightened up and lost confidence at crucial moments. That seems to be the only thing that stood between him and Andy today.

jule

06-12-2004, 07:29 PM

sad that lleyton lost! :sad:
hopefully he will do a lot better at wimbledon!
because if he wants to win it he has to beat federer, i guess and if he doesn't even beat roddick...

Lisbeth

06-13-2004, 01:58 AM

Bad luck but still a better result than last year, and that's what counts. On to 5 sets which is a whole different story!

I agree with star ... I think Lleyton is still gaining match fitness after his break last year too, which is a major factor in playing "big points". Once he gets that back, I think we'll see some fun Roddick-Hewitt matches go each way. One on rebound ace would be fascinating :) I really do respect Roddick as a player and hitting a 153 mph serve is truly amazing ... I just wish I didn't find a serve-based game so incredibly dull ;)

ally_014

06-13-2004, 03:15 AM

Bugger! Not the best news to wake up to! But at least he'll probably go up a place or two in the rankings, and got some good preparation for Wimbledon! :)

NOMAD

06-13-2004, 03:47 AM

Lleyton in Wimbledon mood
Champion of 2002 fancies his chances again - if he can survive first round.
Ronald Atkin reports
13 June 2004

Though he is by no means your arche-typal Aussie, Lleyton Hewitt possesses in abundance those qualities, such as heart, confidence and ability, which have produced so many sporting champions from that nation. Belief by the bucket-load, too.

Lleyton believes, for instance, that he is one of a select group capable of walking through the gates of the All England Club on Monday next week and emerging a fortnight later in possession of the Wimbledon gentlemen's singles trophy. Since he has accomplished that mission once already, why not, mate.

Hewitt won Wimbledon two summers ago, a time when he dwelt at No 1 in the world rankings and was already a Grand Slam champion of the US Open. Since then he has known a tough time or two, none more so than 12 months ago, when he stepped on to Centre Court to open the defence of his title and staggered away after being hammered to a shock defeat by the 6ft 10in Croat Ivo Karlovic. It was the first time in 36 years that the holder had gone out in the first round.

By the end of last year, partly because he cut back on his tournament commitments in successful pursuit of the Davis Cup for his country, Hewitt had slipped down to 17th in the world. Now, a place in the top 10 regained, the sights are set on joining that exclusive club of Australians such as Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Roy Emerson, and Lew Hoad as a multiple winner at Wimbledon. He has been finding his grass-court feet again over the past few days at Queen's Club, a location where he won the Stella Artois title three straight times between 2000-02, though he will not be doing so this year, having lost to Andy Roddick in the semi-finals yesterday.

With his skewed cap and bandy-legged stride, Hewitt has become a familiar and popular figure at the Stella, a tournament he finds congenial as well as helpful. "It's nice in preparation for Wimbledon to have grass-court time under match pressure, and you are always going to be more confident if you get matches under your belt,'' he said, at ease between rounds.

"But it's not essential. Flip [Mark Philippoussis] lost here first round last year, went away to work on his game and got to the Wimbledon final. If you can get through the first two difficult rounds of Wimbledon and build from there, then I don't think it makes a lot of difference.''

Hewitt is one of those whose game is adaptable and rounded enough to help smooth the raw and rapid Grand Slam transition from the French Open, on the sport's slowest and most demanding surface, to the quickest on Wimbledon's turf. "I grew up on hard courts in Australia,'' said the 23-year-old Hewitt, "So my whole movement was made for those courts. Changing to grass is, for me, a lot easier than clay. I am probably one of the few who enjoys playing on grass, who likes going out there. A lot of the guys are negative from the start, so that's a huge bonus for me.

"The Australian Open is my home Slam and I want to win that, but it meant an awful lot to me to win here in 2002. I probably surprised myself by winning Wimbledon so early, but I drew confidence from Andre Agassi. I know he has only won it once, but he has been a contender every year he has played Wimbledon, with a style similar to mine.''

So, then, is a repeat within his reach? Hewitt nodded. "My return of serve and my passing shots are good enough and I move well enough. If I clean up on my service games, eventually I am going to get a chance to break. Only a handful of guys actually believe that they can win Wimbledon and are capable of it - and I am one. There are quite a few who can cause upsets, but whether they can go on to win is another question.''

Hewitt's loss to Karlovic was one such upset, the biggest of Wimbledon 2003, and it was a hurtful setback. "It was pretty hard to take at the time,'' he admitted, "and it will probably always be in the back of my mind, I guess, especially when I go out there again to play my first-round match. But the good thing about tennis is that you don't have to wait long for another big tournament to look forward to and focus all your energy on.'' In Hewitt's case it was the US Open, where he reached the quarter-finals, before that withdrawal from circuit play to concentrate on restoring Australia's hold on the Davis Cup by defeating Switzerland in the semis and Spain in the final.

He regards Roger Federer, whom he beat then, as favourite to repeat his Wimbledon triumph, and also has much regard for Tim Henman's chances. "English tennis is waiting for that Grand Slam, and Tim is the best chance. He has been trying for quite a while now, and the way he handles the situation every year is a credit to him.''

It was, of course, Lleyton who defeated Henman in the 2002 semis, one of seven straight wins he has posted over Tim. He is not quite sure how that sequence has been assembled, but is in no doubt about that occasion. "I saw it as the final. I played my best match of the tournament, and I needed to.'' And, you feel, if Lleyton Hewitt needed to do so again, he would fancy his chances.
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Hewitt happy with game
By Linda Pearce
London
June 13, 2004

The challenge, as ever, is in the timing. Wimbledon is still eight days away, so the desire to be playing just well enough, but not too well, explains Lleyton Hewitt's contentment with a level of game he rates at perhaps seven or so out of 10, and rising.

Hewitt believes his progress is comparable to 2002, when he won the last of his three consecutive Queen's Club titles, and then prevailed at the All England club three weeks later.

Hewitt was to play defending Queen's champion Andy Roddick overnight in a semi-final, having not dropped a set in the three opening, contrasting, matches of his short grasscourt season.

"I've felt pretty good the three years that I won here . . . I don't know if I can draw any similarities to this year compared with those, (but) I feel like I'm playing probably as well as back then," Hewitt said after Friday's 6-3, 7-5 quarter-final defeat of Igor Andreev.

"I'm happy with where my game's at right at the moment, still over a week until Wimbledon. I feel like I'm doing all the little things fairly well, and it's just a couple of things that I can probably get better at and be a little bit sharper, and that's just going to come with playing matches on the surface, more than anything, and spending time on it."

Hewitt spent 78 minutes on court against Andreev, the Russian grasscourt novice with the strong serve and heavy, if slightly erratic, groundstrokes, who held two set points at 5-3 in the second set, but did not win another game.

The Australian's only lapse was brief - although it cost him the early momentum in the second set - and he rated the match as his best so far for timing, movement and returns.

"You want to be getting better and better I think. It hasn't been that long that we've been on the grass as it is, and I feel like I've built it up pretty well over the last three matches," said Hewitt, certain to have his No. 11 ranking bumped up several places by the Wimbledon seeding committee.

"But come Wimbledon time, it's a totally different situation as well; it's a grand slam and if you're in a tight match, you've just got to find a way to get out of the matches even if you're not playing well. So it's good that I'm getting a few matches under my belt, anyway."

Last night brought another, against the player who on Friday broke his own record for the world's fastest serve for the third time - on the second point of the second game of the second set of his quarter-final defeat of Paradorn Srichaphan.

Roddick's 246.2 km/h ace bettered by 1.6 km/h the mark he set in the Davis Cup tie against Sweden in April.

"I'm not sure what to say about it," Roddick said. "In my mind it still counts as one point, it's still just one point in the match, and I'm happier to get through and get a chance to go into the final weekend here than I am about hitting a big serve.

"I can feel when I'm hitting it big, but if you're asking me when I hit, am I like, 'OK, that's it', I have no idea. I didn't know until I kind of heard the crowd, and then I kind of looked up and saw it."

Earlier in the week, Sebastien Grosjean - who will meet Hyung-Taik Lee in the other semi-final - had questioned the accuracy of several of the service readings, but Roddick said part of the explanation was the lighter, quicker, conditions on grass.

"Where clay weighs down the balls, and gritty hardcourts can puff them up, I think (on grass) the balls stay a lot smaller," Roddick said, "and that has something to do with it."

Roddick also predicted that playing Hewitt for the first time since the American's introductory trio of losses in 2001 would help him gauge his readiness for Wimbledon, where he lost in the semi-finals to Roger Federer last year after 10 consecutive wins on grass.

"More so than the surface, I just feel like I'm more experienced and I just think I'm better overall than I was last year, and now it's just a matter of playing that way," said the reigning US Open champion, who has worked with coach Brad Gilbert in recent weeks on putting more stick on his volleys.

"I think winning a grand slam is a big mental hurdle. You don't know how to do something until you've done it before, and I've done it, and I've experienced it at that stage now, so obviously that helps; it helps a lot in the later stages when you've been there before. So now the tricky part is getting to that stage, that other stage."

Meanwhile three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten pulled out of Wimbledon yesterday.

NOMAD

06-13-2004, 03:50 AM

Hewitt questions Roddick record
Lleyton Hewitt has questioned the validity of Andy Roddick's record-breaking serves, saying he felt the speed guns at the Queen's Club event were quicker than anywhere else.

Roddick equalled his own service record, set during Friday's quarter-finals, twice with 246.2 kph (153mph) deliveries as he fired his 13th and 15th aces in his semi-final against Hewitt.

"I think the speed gun here is quicker than anywhere else," Hewitt said after his 7-6, 6-3 defeat to the top seed.

"The balls are heavier here and you certainly don't think these are the kind of conditions you can serve so quickly in.

"Even my serves have been registered a lot quicker this week."

Roddick, who first equalled the previous mark of 149 mph by Greg Rusedski at this tournament 12 months ago, was also unsure of the accuracy of the gun but pointed out that he had since broken the record at several different venues.

"It's definitely fast this week but I'm not sure if it is the conditions," the American world number two said.

He's right about the radar gun. The new one they're using is registering higher speeds for everybody, including the players with slower serves. That doesn't mean it's reading the speed wrong, only that it doesn't read like the other one did.

SomL.

06-13-2004, 08:59 AM

I'm very disappointing.I think, Lleyton should win Andy. I think, Yesterday Lleyton missed the important points so Lleyton lost. Good luck Lleyton in Wimbledon.